A new member with a question... I know, it's annoying; but I really have searched extensively for an answer to my question.

This is a difficult thing to research. No matter how I search for this, the words are just too common and pull up the wrong information.

I think I understand that this is meant to show data for the current drive cycle, but the data seems nonsensical and unrelated to any reality with which I am familiar.

I likewise doubt it's meant to sit there blinking the entire time I'm driving the vehicle, every time I drive the vehicle.

While there are other issues I need to investigate (RF doesn't unlock doors or open trunk, but IR does), this is one of the more baffling. Since I don't know what it affects, it is a variable that must be eliminated.

I'm either going to sell this car for someone or buy it myself. Either way I need the major systems working.

Does anyone have ideas in regard to this "After Start" issue?

That thing sitting there flashing is a diagnostic concern, as it may be affecting other systems. I have no way of knowing without asking, unfortunately.

 

Are you saying that the actual words, "AFTER START" are flashing on the information panel in the gauge cluster, and nothing else? And that nothing you have found makes it go away?

If so, my first reaction is that you need to get DAS (the Diagnostic Assistance System - the complex computer system that the dealers use to diagnose, test and modify the car's systems) hooked up and see what trouble codes are present.

 

Yes. It sits there flashing all by itself; though today it held steady for a while without flashing. It only goes away when the strange turn signal fault takes over the screen. The signals work fine; the computer just thinks they don't for some reason.

There's a guy across the street that will be back today who has a diagnostic computer that's supposed to handle this car. I don't remember which model, but he's confident it'll find the code. $50 if it does pull everything, which I feel is worth it to save my sanity in diagnosing the issue.

I believe I can state confidently that this is the most baffling vehicle I've ever had to spruce back up. I mean... Mercedes used all the buttons. All of them. In the year 2000, I don't know how the heck people manufactured keyboards and game controllers.

Thank goodness they all seem to work just fine. I don't think I'll buy this car, as I find the seat incredibly uncomfortable, but someone will get a good deal I think. I'll feel good selling it for him. Heck, some people like those seats.

 

Hmm...when I first start my car, the "AFTER START" blinks for a while, until I've driven maybe a mile or two, then it settles down. That's true with all four of our W220's, so I believe that this is normal. If you hit the up-arrow above it to "AFTER RESET", does the display still blink?

 

The only "after start" notification that I am familiar with on the W220 is for the fuel mileage display. On my car, the lower left rocker switch on the steering wheel spokes changes the display in the instrument cluster display window. Can you change the display to the odo mileage display using that control?

 

I've cleared a bunch of old codes now, and will see what happens. It stopped, but I've only put two miles on it since then. I'm not sure how long it'll hold, but hopefully it's gone.

Some of those codes were old and irrelevant but, unlike my vehicles, they were still throwing warnings. What a strange vehicle.